


Dark Forest Chapter 1

by Red_the_Exile



Series: Dark Forest [1]
Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22084627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_the_Exile/pseuds/Red_the_Exile
Summary: Some story I'm practicing my writing on. A teenager ends up being invited to some unknown school. Weird shit ensues.
Series: Dark Forest [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589632





	Dark Forest Chapter 1

It was a boring summer day.

The weather was beautiful, the birds were chirping, the sun shone down from its place in the center of the sky.

I was inside, of course.

Sitting on my computer, too bored to play and video games, nor do anything “healthy” like walking outside on such a beautiful day.

It was a slow day. We were already halfway through summer break, with each day seeming slow but together it went by fast.

I looked at my phone. 12:57, July 27th, 2019. I sighed. Even if we still had half of summer break left, it still felt too short. Shorter than the half we just experienced, at least.

As I span in my chair, propelled using my legs, I decided I was hungry  _ and  _ bored. So it was time to go down to the kitchen.   
  


I walked down the stairs, not even having pants on, having decided that putting them on would require too much effort. I wore a shirt though, at least. 

My mom had decided to clog the kitchen with food before she left for her vacation in the Bahamas, so I was pretty set in terms of what I could eat.

I decided on the easiest option, the microwavable pizzas. Unpacking one and putting it in the microwave, I went down to the couch and sat down, waiting for the pizza to finish. All I planned to do was sit down and read my phone, not much else. At least, not much more planned.

Funny how easily plans can be disrupted. The doorbell ringing sure did that.

I narrowed my eyes at the door. Probably some salesman, but I didn’t have any pants on at the moment, so I was stuck between not being rude but also not being weird. 

Figuring I could at least hide my lower half behind the door, I walked over and opened it. I was a bit surprised to see no person, nor any trace of a person, but I did see a box.

Looking around to make sure no one was gonna be there to see me without pants, I picked up the box. It was a big box, around the size of the one my computer case came in, and it was just as heavy. Heaving it up with both my hands, I pulled it inside and brought it to a table in the living room.

The box was addressed to me, even though I haven't ordered anything. Maybe my Mom had gotten this for me? Was it a surprise gift I shouldn’t open?

Eh, fuck it. I’ll do it anyways, not like I couldn’t tape it back up if it was a gift, and act surprised later.

Getting some scissors, I cut open the tape holding the top closed, and looked inside. It looked like clothes? But why would it be so heavy, in that case?

Pulling the “clothes” out, I realized why. It wasn’t clothes, it was a  _ costume _ . Like one a superhero wore. It was primarily black, with some gray and white spots, and it even had a cloak on the back. It also looked to have armor on it, with some padding on non-joint areas. I felt the texture, it felt rough and firm, but oddly soft. Turning it around, there seemed to be some stylized infinity sign on the back of the cloak. Inside, I couldn’t seem to find any maker tag.

Setting it down, and getting one good look at it, I realized it seemed to be my size. Almost exactly, in fact. It seemed to have been made for me, though that did freak me out a little. How had they known my size? Maybe this was a gift from Mom after all. 

Setting the costume down, I went over the box to read who it was from. Only my name seemed to have been written there, with some gibberish language that looked like something out of a science fiction movie covering the rest of the tag. Looking inside the box, there seemed to be three more objects. It looked to be a book, a letter, and a small box.

Taking the letter first, I decided to read it. Maybe it would provide some context as to what was happening here. The letter, like the box, had my name on it. Ripping it open with some scissors, I pulled out the note, and started to read it.

“Dear Mason Wilter,

You have passed the exams, and hereby have been accepted to Apogee Academy! While you may not have known you have even taken the tests, we have been watching you for a long time, and found you worthy of our teachings. Our school year starts on September 2nd, at our campus, located at 1701 JFK Boulevard. Philadelphia, PA 19103. If you decide you can't or won’t make it to our school, we understand.

Regardless, we hope to see you here on time!

Best Wishes,

Headmaster Ciphias Enigma.”

Well, in no way was that extremely alarming and creepy. I could feel my heartbeat start to pick up. What did they mean by watching me? Were they watching me right now? Who had delivered this package?

I looked around, out the windows, trying to see any creepy figures or things that shouldn’t be there. I didn’t see anything, but that didn’t put me off edge.

Decided to check the box, seeing if there was something sketchy in it. The box was small, at least the size of my hand. Taking off the top slowly, and nervously looking inside, I saw something I honestly hadn’t been expecting. 

Inside of the box was what looked like a phone, if a phone was made of glass. The bottom and top of the phone were gray blocks, and connecting them was a single, thin pane of glass. I tapped the glass, seeing if something would happen, but nothing did. It was completely inert.

Putting the box down onto the table, I looked at the final “gift”: the book. Taking it out, I realized the “book” was actually locked on the side, with a full on metal lock (at least it felt like metal when I touched it). I shrugged, and put it in the box.

So, that was that I suppose. I had received a superhero costume, a locked book I can’t even open, an art piece that looks like a phone, and a stalker note. Great day so far.

I put all the stuff in the box, and closed it. What was I going to  _ do _ with all this stuff? I probably can’t throw it out, my Mom would wonder why such a big box was thrown out. Or would she? I couldn’t say for certain, but I hoped that-

My phone rang. Picking up my phone and looking at the caller ID. It was my Mom. Well, that was a bit suspiciously timed. Picking up the call, I replied with a single, “Hello?”

“Hey Mason, how are you doing?” She asked, calmy. I could hear the sounds of waves crashing against the shore in the background. 

I was glad I got a call from her. I was worried something had happened to her, even if I had no basis for believing so. “Fine, I got a box in the mail.” I said. 

“Oh, ? What was in it?” she asked curiously.

I replied, “Well, it was some invitation to a school. Some place called Apogee Academy. Know anything about it?” 

There was a short pause. “I may have,” my Mom said, “Was its address in Philly?” 

“Yeah, why?”

“Someone bought the old Comcast center. I thought it looked like school people going inside, but I wasn’t sure. Guess we know now, I suppose?” She let out a chuckle.

“Yeah, I'm just surprised. Did they send you anything about it? Like a brochure or sign-up sheet?” 

“No, but I  _ did _ get an email from Stoga, asking about your status and grades. They even had a survey about you. Maybe related?”

I sighed. “Are you sure that was from Stoga? Could have been sent by them.”

“Don’t be paranoid, I’m sure it was from Stoga. Anyways, how are you doing for the food situation?”

Oh shit, my pizza.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Mom and I talked for a bit, but nothing fruitful came of it aside from the obvious questions. I had to reheat my pizza as it was cold, but that was but a footnote.

Hours later, I was browsing the internet, trying to get as much information about Apogee as possible. It did seem to be a real thing, and they were centered in the old Comcast center in the city. They claimed to have come from Montana, and recently have moved here at the beginning of the summer. Looks like whatever they were doing, they were doing it quick, as the building was supposedly already refurbished, somehow. 

It was a boarding school, and I admit I found it fascinating how a school could work vertically in a skyscraper, as opposed to a campus. Not that it relaxed my thoughts at all.

I let out a sigh and looked at the clock. 10:13. It was time for me to go to bed. Plugging in all my devices, I was about to turn off the light when my phone vibrated. Figuring it was probably my Mom checking up on me before she went to bed, I picked it up and read the message.

To my surprise, it was  _ not  _ my Mom. It was a non-listed number. Opening my phone and reading the text, I was a bit confused, and creeped out again. The text read:

“So, you’re Mason? The new member of our team?”

I furrowed my brow, and texted back, “Who is this?”

Almost mere seconds later, I got a reply text, saying, “My name’s Ghost! Did the Headmaster not tell you anything? He told us all about you!” 

This had to be related to Apogee somehow. Also, what type of name is Ghost? Either this person’s messing with me or that's a nickname.

“I haven’t heard a single thing from him. Who are you really?” I said?

“He must not have told you then. Sorry, and see you soon!” again, sent mere seconds after I sent my message.

I tried to message back, but the message, as well as all the other messages I sent afterwards, failed to send. 

Putting my phone back where it was, I layed down in bed, trying to get a good sleep, hoping I wasn’t gonna be kidnapped in the middle of the night.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, I had a strange dream. Shocker, I know.

I was standing in a field of grass. The grass was overgrown, reaching all the way to my knees. A gentle breeze drifter through, blowing the grass around. Looking around, I noticed I was wearing my costume, the one I got in the package. Looking at my fingerless gloves, I felt the need to go forward, towards a light in the distance. 

I stumbled almost like I was in a trance towards this light. Fireflies glittered and flashed in the night in the colors of green and red. Stars twinkled in the moonless sky, of all kinds of colors and strange constellations.

There was a stronger breeze coming from behind me, and looking back, I saw a storm. It flashed with lightning, and I could hear rain in the distance.

As I stumbled closer and closer to the light, I could start to make it what it was. It was a streetlight, one you would see in the 18th century. I couldn’t get a good look at it, but I felt something akin to pure power emanating from it.

In the corners of my eyes, figures started to appear. They were shadowy wisps, and every time I turned to look at one to get a better look, they disappeared. 

As I got closer to the light. I held out my hand, and a figure appeared in front of me. Shadowy, just like the phantasms, she reached out her arm as well. As soon as we touched, I bolted up in bed, in a cold sweat.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not much happened for the next few weeks. After my Mom got back, she did some before school shopping, with all the needed stuff like a backpack and school supplies. She claimed to have received an email from the school, but refused to show it to me, no matter how much I begged. I showed my Mom the costume I got, but even she couldn’t figure out why they had given it to me. 

Before long, it was the day school started. According to that same email my mom got, we had to be there by 1 pm. I packed my stuff into the car, and let out a sigh. I was supposed to be going to Conestoga, my district school, where all my friends were. Well, ’friends’. I wasn’t actually friendly with anyone, but I knew people there. And to me a step up to where I was going.

Plus, I was thinking back to the day when all the shit had gone down. The box, the text, the note. It all still schemed sketchy to me, even in hindsight. 

“Hey, Mason sweetie. Ready to go?” My mom said, pulling me from my thoughts. I nodded in response, and got in the car.

We had packed everything into the car, including the stuff from the strange box. We rode our way to Philly, which was easy. I leaned against the window, watching the world go by.

“Hey, have you heard anything from the school?” My mom asked. I shook my head. “No, I’ve received nothing from them since the package arrived. Why?” I asked back.

“Well, you know, I’m a bit worried about you. You seemed down the past few days…” she droned off. 

I sighed. She was right, I  _ was _ down the past few days. I never liked change. Sometimes it felt like my life was in a stasis where the only change was for the worse. And this chain of events seemed to prove that.

“I know you’re worried about me, but I’ll be fine!” I lied, forcing a smile. 

She looked at me, and then back at the road, “I know you’re not fine, Mason. You always get this way when change happens. You know you can always tell me if you need help. I am your mother, after all.” she said, smiling a bit.

I smiled, this time for real. Even though I knew I would never take her up on her offer, it helped know that there was at least someone on my side.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the city’s skyline became visible on the horizon, I tried to get a good look at Apogee. The old Comcast center, or the new Apogee Academy building I suppose, was among the highest buildings in the area. It looked to be the same, at least from a distance, but it shone in the sunlight, like a glistening monolith of steel and glass. 

We managed to get closer, luckily avoiding any traffic, though the streets were still flooded with people. I suppose that's one of the problems of living in a massive city. I mentally prepared and got a map of all the safe places in the city, as I was sure that I would be here for a while. 

We inched our way through the crowded streets, getting closer to the Apogee building. We eventually got close enough to park in one of those fancy robotic garages. My mom and I walked towards the building from there.

As we walked, I saw a homeless man. He looked worn down, like you would expect a homeless man to look. The reason my eye was brought to him was that on his shoulder, was the same stylized infinity symbol on the costume I got. I thought about that for a sec, looking at him, when he smiled back at me. Freaked out, and my mom calling me as I had fallen behind her, I bolted forward until I found her. 

Eventually, we rounded a corner, and we saw the building in all its glory. Outside the front of the building were some tents, which seemed to be giving ouch merchandise, as well as brochures, not unlike the science festival the Franklin’s Insittute did each year. People were storming in and out of the area, a dense crowd of people meandering about.

We walked forward and worked our way through the crowd, and into the building. Inside was crowded, though less so than outdoors in the center of the room was a desk with a few secretaries in it. Walking up, and waving, one of the secretaries got up and greeted us. 

“Hello, welcome to Apogee Academy! Please note we are not accepting applicants at the time. Would you like a brochure explaining our programs?” the secretary said in a neutral voice, not deadpan but not cheery either. 

“Actually, we, uh, got an acceptance letter from this place!” I said, digging through my backpack and getting the letter. Picking it up and giving it to the secretary, she took it and read it over before smiling. “Ah, so you must be Mason. Nice to meet you!” 

She gestured to the other secretaries, before saying, “Mrs. Wilter, these secretaries will help you with the paperwork. Mason, please follow me.” She walked out of the desk, and gestured for me to follow.

I obliged, and put my backpack back one, as well as the suitcase I was carrying with all my clothes in it, and followed the secretary. She walked into the backrooms, and held the door open for me.

Going inside, the walls were a sterile white, probably not meant for any random person to see. “Where are we going?” I asked, curious. “We are going to get some medical tests from you, before you are allowed inside with all the other students.” she replied. I thought back to the lobby, and while it was crowded I did not see any other people around my age. Maybe students are rare here? In any other context I would assume this place was a human trafficking circuit, but I also doubted a circuit could purchase a massive skyscraper in one of the biggest cities in the US. 

The secretary opened a door, and gestured for me to go inside. Looking inside, it looked like a medical lab, with a hunched over figure typed at a computer on the opposite wall.

Some sound, maybe my footsteps, alerted this figure, and they turned around. They looked like what would happen if a full-blown goth became a doctor. Pitch black hair, green lipstick, and one of those medical eyepatches but black covered her face, and she smiled at me. “Ah, so you must be the new student. Welcome to Apogee!” she said, spreading her arms. 

“Uh, yeah…” I replied. “I think I’m supposed to get medical treatment? At least that's what the secretary said.” I turned around, intending to point at her, only to find the door closed. Odd, I didn’t even hear it close. Looking back at the doctor, she gestured to a chair. “Take a seat, if you don’t mind.” she said, in a low, almost playful tone. 

Taking a seat, she looked back at the computer. “So, according to your doctors, you are quite the healthy specimen. Only thing you need is the newest flu vaccine.” she said, before pulling out a vial and a needle, quickly filling it up and putting the vial aside.

Ugh. I hated needles. I cringed a bit at the yellow-filled syringe. “Please make it quick, I don’t like needles.” I said, before she smiled. “Don’t worry, just lean back and everything will be fine.” I did as she said, and leaned back in the chair. 

I felt a strange sensation in the back of neck, like it was being massaged with electricity. It was a bit relaxing, I’m not gonna lie, so I didn't think much of it. As the doctor got closer, I realized she never told me her name. Ah well, I felt too relaxed all of a sudden to care. Why not just sit and enjoy it while it lasts, I thought, as I fell asleep, the last image I could remember being a smile on the doctor’s face….


End file.
